tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23797207064624754992024-03-19T14:20:23.246+10:00Teaching Reading and WritingTeaching Mum(Mom) and Dad to teach their children to read and write. Parents helping sons and daughters to improve reading and writing.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-86872628163844532702009-08-22T23:15:00.004+10:002009-08-22T23:21:52.458+10:00Very Cute<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5bSAoa8EPdcuKuDzkyubOkBOlh7o5xu5LQj-uNJ5A398X0haqT5e0-qvHhocu-86DOAzDFAWwVB-mRyU6SYs6rVmtDb9sIeBSQBzfsQp_EYGTWvJJ9M5Pj5N92cnwvWG1mozO8aqVfpu/s1600-h/!cid_013001c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372777462737160242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5bSAoa8EPdcuKuDzkyubOkBOlh7o5xu5LQj-uNJ5A398X0haqT5e0-qvHhocu-86DOAzDFAWwVB-mRyU6SYs6rVmtDb9sIeBSQBzfsQp_EYGTWvJJ9M5Pj5N92cnwvWG1mozO8aqVfpu/s320/!cid_013001c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gDzcdXBL0p1EElP3m304Oky2l9-cyhuIMdV0yZyn9XYNBv-_GUZE2KnXaf4rRvNDpjyymlay5C4xjT3HjEM-YMcupclPibk9CYyJ2Kcnd1wiikRBGpu4ydb99LqgvybirZEoPsS_4iCR/s1600-h/!cid_012901c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 241px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372777451368171746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gDzcdXBL0p1EElP3m304Oky2l9-cyhuIMdV0yZyn9XYNBv-_GUZE2KnXaf4rRvNDpjyymlay5C4xjT3HjEM-YMcupclPibk9CYyJ2Kcnd1wiikRBGpu4ydb99LqgvybirZEoPsS_4iCR/s320/!cid_012901c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrzfOST3pobs7GykhT1VTuN-Qpq6X4YWDpttToouRs-GzwuWtobo679ntwl9MvTMahybq6p5UYLBg-aXgP-fPd6nmt-6Xe2Jsqv-YQMTIa2_lCvnA0YL9zzVzkhOF-OkXawGVFVWgw4Rz/s1600-h/!cid_012801c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 198px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372777449439851506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrzfOST3pobs7GykhT1VTuN-Qpq6X4YWDpttToouRs-GzwuWtobo679ntwl9MvTMahybq6p5UYLBg-aXgP-fPd6nmt-6Xe2Jsqv-YQMTIa2_lCvnA0YL9zzVzkhOF-OkXawGVFVWgw4Rz/s320/!cid_012801c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmXrQLTDjwyMAMp9szIq3E-n02nqJegWJmnaydiiOeunTMNh7AkOFO9tb7PxppOEgsSFcaaSjOpVhRegfSwbVVw-OuDTXFt2nhCklCd4ye8G8QxltXd8zknytpj0U3Lztxe4fyjLCt8Sw/s1600-h/!cid_012701c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372777440951362098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmXrQLTDjwyMAMp9szIq3E-n02nqJegWJmnaydiiOeunTMNh7AkOFO9tb7PxppOEgsSFcaaSjOpVhRegfSwbVVw-OuDTXFt2nhCklCd4ye8G8QxltXd8zknytpj0U3Lztxe4fyjLCt8Sw/s320/!cid_012701c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aD6bUK5tbefbOOtLmGSZl5EzMoJvXtGZq9kwx1UoaoA5DtNlj9Y69YVNPW5VTuTIbZJxxoXdhkSSo33KGlINOcf9uSyMFiqTUCde47Gjnsy57RBhS7unKqEvHQo4pPpaI3sTMv3qNcmh/s1600-h/!cid_013401c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372776839469851698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aD6bUK5tbefbOOtLmGSZl5EzMoJvXtGZq9kwx1UoaoA5DtNlj9Y69YVNPW5VTuTIbZJxxoXdhkSSo33KGlINOcf9uSyMFiqTUCde47Gjnsy57RBhS7unKqEvHQo4pPpaI3sTMv3qNcmh/s320/!cid_013401c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80-w4c6SCrfev2byGXWJiGqBXSVqqOosMooOEifXV0XEF0wvF3BCV0WsKEPN9VwoirJy_AJmAX4gKIwjbLflpZJxZuB8zny1R5Tx9jdeJDH12TFYH86AJZt1afAjnpvAxQFCpz6x3LhOK/s1600-h/!cid_012e01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372776835028542978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80-w4c6SCrfev2byGXWJiGqBXSVqqOosMooOEifXV0XEF0wvF3BCV0WsKEPN9VwoirJy_AJmAX4gKIwjbLflpZJxZuB8zny1R5Tx9jdeJDH12TFYH86AJZt1afAjnpvAxQFCpz6x3LhOK/s320/!cid_012e01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uJY9AbOIWBclKpySnupcq27M37uUqxJfWnd7Gc7qHAuEOXpx4J6Zd0Yi2bZHe1MujCXrxF7YPe1oWsY3OlvRWFZGQ_BtHL6Qo9rPBZ_pNXNr3doLQeQdAKf1wl4kIIlj71_kDdPIH3a8/s1600-h/!cid_012f01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372776826496748594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uJY9AbOIWBclKpySnupcq27M37uUqxJfWnd7Gc7qHAuEOXpx4J6Zd0Yi2bZHe1MujCXrxF7YPe1oWsY3OlvRWFZGQ_BtHL6Qo9rPBZ_pNXNr3doLQeQdAKf1wl4kIIlj71_kDdPIH3a8/s320/!cid_012f01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW5236_jOEYKFI3VYjWlcfvHaE4mPL3ery_U7aH9KOsU39_XVhNJhlR9ehtWl30CCq4UGdZk-lMN8hyphenhyphenWFm6ZcvZ0plQz2begqSLroWpzjAwN7rMiJ1vN0sYa7M1F7-eX2VP-cudWzkoYO/s1600-h/!cid_012b01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372776815680109442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW5236_jOEYKFI3VYjWlcfvHaE4mPL3ery_U7aH9KOsU39_XVhNJhlR9ehtWl30CCq4UGdZk-lMN8hyphenhyphenWFm6ZcvZ0plQz2begqSLroWpzjAwN7rMiJ1vN0sYa7M1F7-eX2VP-cudWzkoYO/s320/!cid_012b01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KWt4tJzpopvJ4kpDFXPjTAy5v-lmoqUBnrJ8B-q2ISOX6fHOAh8ex29xpba4LQG61-Bb_H9Zv6tOiZYd5cX_QTUuyaJxj2tiOJ5w4epmg6xUBaSBm_ISdwp9SsUoE6gWpaK71KwHC3cJ/s1600-h/!cid_012d01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372776809631149314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KWt4tJzpopvJ4kpDFXPjTAy5v-lmoqUBnrJ8B-q2ISOX6fHOAh8ex29xpba4LQG61-Bb_H9Zv6tOiZYd5cX_QTUuyaJxj2tiOJ5w4epmg6xUBaSBm_ISdwp9SsUoE6gWpaK71KwHC3cJ/s320/!cid_012d01c97c7d%243f6c53f0%240200a8c0%40snuffy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-7797098461506759162009-08-22T22:57:00.004+10:002009-08-22T23:23:15.394+10:00How do I teach my child to read?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtxcaXR9AHCHNLWufD7VkhmP3uN7nxbEfR9gcwwMK6bpoku18qzQUqHhSb6M8sPmCxxrgFt63jhwlZeLrQdn37-iSoaFxN8u1T2-Hx1Ckvu0-GaaiB7v7IF8uiCpiklb9xOAed4a4mwHK/s1600-h/Examinerteachread.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372775771355693794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtxcaXR9AHCHNLWufD7VkhmP3uN7nxbEfR9gcwwMK6bpoku18qzQUqHhSb6M8sPmCxxrgFt63jhwlZeLrQdn37-iSoaFxN8u1T2-Hx1Ckvu0-GaaiB7v7IF8uiCpiklb9xOAed4a4mwHK/s200/Examinerteachread.jpg" /></a> .<br /><div>This article is from Examiner.com and written by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tere</span> Scott. It gives much information on teaching reading for those who are homeschooling or just trying to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">bolster</span> what their children learn at school. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>How do I teach my child to read?<br /></strong><br />One of the most important foundations for all learning is the ability to read. There are countless <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-11342-St-Louis-Homeschooling-Examiner~y2009m8d17-Homeschoolers-enjoy-books-and-free-pizza-with-Pizza-Hut-Book-It-reading-program">reading incentive programs</a> to encourage the continuation of reading. But, how do you teach your child to read?<br /><br />Some children learn this skill very easily and it's almost as if they teach themselves, usually at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">young</span> ages as early as 3 or 4 years of age, sometimes even sooner. Others struggle slightly and pick up on it at a more expected age of between 5-7 years of age. Still <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">others</span> seem as if they will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">never</span> learn to read and may not fully comprehend <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">what</span> their eyes peruse until closer to 9 years of age, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">sometimes</span> even later.<br /></div><br /><div>So, as a homeschooling parent how do you teach your child to read?</div><br /><div><br />For the rest of this article <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-11342-St-Louis-Homeschooling-Examiner~y2009m8d19-Homeschool-101--How-do-I-teach-my-child-to-read?cid=email-this-article">click here.</a><br />.</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-48072395036869323312009-08-11T18:07:00.004+10:002009-11-26T21:46:57.218+10:00Check this out<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62VJh1FhN4gmZgUmHrL9UMh8iKEaLNrcUcgnge4dcwMvlQ7KYbHDyrbSk-K2FEeo4lPtnT5NLEHoDeBC3tlLEALPyMA3HzuygmOykoPwJP-jzC4NQ4TZGpAsxkpPBqLQhmJHFWofGTFIv/s1600-h/38E6UCA84MBYBCAVN1BM2CAZIKLIBCAOHPB1QCA4EPVPMCAJXF5WHCA77QS0SCAPD45KOCABAQX9GCAEOLF4LCAUEDGF4CACVA7JYCAC4EUXLCAOCGCGJCAXVDEDGCAIT76M1CASKGWM8CAOIH97Y.jpg"></a></div><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 85px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 127px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368618400167095138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62VJh1FhN4gmZgUmHrL9UMh8iKEaLNrcUcgnge4dcwMvlQ7KYbHDyrbSk-K2FEeo4lPtnT5NLEHoDeBC3tlLEALPyMA3HzuygmOykoPwJP-jzC4NQ4TZGpAsxkpPBqLQhmJHFWofGTFIv/s200/38E6UCA84MBYBCAVN1BM2CAZIKLIBCAOHPB1QCA4EPVPMCAJXF5WHCA77QS0SCAPD45KOCABAQX9GCAEOLF4LCAUEDGF4CACVA7JYCAC4EUXLCAOCGCGJCAXVDEDGCAIT76M1CASKGWM8CAOIH97Y.jpg" />Canadian canine expert and author Dr. Stanley <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coren</span></span>, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, reports that Fido may just be as smart as two-year-old children.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coren</span></span> found that average dogs can learn 165 words, which is about the same amount as a toddler. And the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">smartest</span> of the bunch can learn up to 250 words.! Signals and gestures are also part of the canine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">repertoire</span>.<br /><br />And if you think learning a few words and signals is the only thing man's best friend can do, think again! Dogs stand tow-to-toe with three or four-year-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">olds</span></span> when it comes to basic maths skills. Go figure! They can count to four or five an can even notice <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mistakes</span> in simple math <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhCKb0HdBES-7yA29XdDe3764LMZyexxSi6qVY0KYMaWbfchazMZg-7quhJswi1KiyHMxNi3GmB6ieS7bVhqO9M0rjOmVtESKB6hEOnZgz6sK66EBjk_5nQUSqLzQE5P9QYkAr3FSeE4v/s1600-h/7QXFOCA9206W8CARUSGGDCAHIAWM4CA4IYIB5CAVFCJ6CCALN32JNCA5K21YBCAVDI891CAVIUBODCAWFLYFZCAGNI491CAZ541R1CAF1Z8F9CA46ETBACAXIXI3FCA7TA125CAROS2FKCAG9CSDY.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 81px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 129px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368618494043951442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhCKb0HdBES-7yA29XdDe3764LMZyexxSi6qVY0KYMaWbfchazMZg-7quhJswi1KiyHMxNi3GmB6ieS7bVhqO9M0rjOmVtESKB6hEOnZgz6sK66EBjk_5nQUSqLzQE5P9QYkAr3FSeE4v/s200/7QXFOCA9206W8CARUSGGDCAHIAWM4CA4IYIB5CAVFCJ6CCALN32JNCA5K21YBCAVDI891CAVIUBODCAWFLYFZCAGNI491CAZ541R1CAF1Z8F9CA46ETBACAXIXI3FCA7TA125CAROS2FKCAG9CSDY.jpg" /></a>computations. And when it comes to social skills, those lovable pooches are right on course with teenagers! According to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coren</span></span>, Rover can also <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">show</span> emotions such as anger, disgust and happiness.<br /><br />For more info and a list of the 10 smartest breeds and the ten least intelligent <a href="http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/10/doggy-iq-canine-expert-finds-dogs-as-smart-as-toddlers/">click here</a></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-7269701457010652902009-08-10T22:54:00.003+10:002009-08-10T23:02:02.787+10:002009 Notable Children's Books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrMdDq01I8gzAGZvghNVTmVgpJAAbKZYW65MZjLmFMUC00q16OsrD98l8zQmjogiwVK2l5AeFZN0vV_IttS-x4q9GxY4pMnkaiGgTr-RPKGWSf9ZAcALYjIJtwa84fOMERvfrIUOfWo9e/s1600-h/dreamstime_8733421.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368318903919578898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrMdDq01I8gzAGZvghNVTmVgpJAAbKZYW65MZjLmFMUC00q16OsrD98l8zQmjogiwVK2l5AeFZN0vV_IttS-x4q9GxY4pMnkaiGgTr-RPKGWSf9ZAcALYjIJtwa84fOMERvfrIUOfWo9e/s200/dreamstime_8733421.jpg" /></a><br /><div>.</div><br /><div>Are you looking for some great kids' books for your children? Here are the top children's books listed by the American Library Association. <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/childrensnotable/notablechibooks/index.cfm">Click here </a>and enjoy</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-32770118425365920192009-08-08T18:59:00.003+10:002009-08-08T19:23:17.474+10:00Baby talk leads to life of literacyThis is a great article from the Times Colonist. It talks about the best and easiest way to prepare your child for literacy.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Toddlers from talkative homes have advantage in learning, research finds.</span><br /><br />By Katherine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dedyna</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Chatting with toddlers helps them develop a good <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">vocabulary</span> before they reach school age</strong>.</span><br /><br />It's easy to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">forgive</span> parents for feeling exhausted when faced with all the options to help improve their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">toddler's</span> literacy and language development before school. Think everything from flash cards to Baby Einstein DVDs.<br /><br />But there's one thing that's so easy, parents can do it any time, any place for free and kids will love it. Talk to them and give their fledgling words your full attention.<br /><br />Inviting children to express their thoughts is a huge stepping stone to literacy, says Trish Main, a learning initiatives teacher with Greater Victoria School District.<br /><br />For the rest of this excellent article <a href="http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Baby+talk+leads+life+literacy/1828108/story.html">click here</a>.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-87167108061588465362009-08-02T21:13:00.002+10:002009-08-02T21:34:53.665+10:00Free Reading Game Introduced by Family Literacy Groups.<br />A comprehensive online program designed for new readers is being introduced by Family Literacy Groups. There are interactive phonics-based lessons which are free, school proven and fun for kids. Family Literacy Groups is a 501c organisation dedicated to helping children learn to read and The Reading Game is the brainchild of their creative team. For more information <a href="http://appindie.org/index.php/community/69-community/701-family-literacy-groups-introduces-free-reading-game">click here</a>. The URL for The Reading Game is <a href="http://www.learntoreadfree.com/">www.learntoreadfree.com</a>.<br />.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-31882382484830416012009-07-30T19:45:00.002+10:002009-07-30T19:49:58.297+10:002009 Notable Children's BooksFor a look at the list of the best children's books, from the Association for Library Service to Children, <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/childrensnotable/notablechibooks/index.cfm">Click Here</a> Happy Reading!!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-68364762195970256882009-07-26T15:39:00.010+10:002009-07-26T16:19:27.376+10:00The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe in the World!!<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE!!</strong></span><br /><div><div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 187px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362645805036251442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOOunqOm665PQy_CLHOf7HnCATdKwONrVUbcusqdeIuGnzzKfQBlTn0KNXh6PVtylQfcEMHAGDNZNCKcnjdbc_QFPVGOie4cQUPqzQg4uxAI3mrOUY3ZxkB2tNfFZIPwFTXdPSmeSVRmk/s400/!cid_000d01ca02ce%24097c2590%240100000a%40robqr5eszh4pyw.jpg" /><br /><div>4 tablespoons flour</div><div>4 tablespoons sugar</div><div>2 tablespoons cocoa</div><div>1 egg</div><div>3 tablespoons milk</div><div>3 tablespoons oil</div><div>3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)</div><div>A small splash of vanilla extract and your favourite tipple</div><div>1 large coffee mug</div><br /><div>Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and a drop or two of your favourite tipple, then mix again.</div><br /><div>Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on 1000 watts (high)</div><div>The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 141px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362646212480331538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cpD2O0ZMhyphenhyphenmsDo-BIHRKfKnNeZ7i_nhpwRbo5hjvOpCk151slwuOgYbcAEala9GVTVYFHishkW0ZiaHflQOjExvTtuECL1p-qVXviqcskucRrcLAAt9DIQUoI-90EBEsoiIjlAz-bgOT/s400/!cid_000e01ca02ce%24097c2590%240100000a%40robqr5eszh4pyw.jpg" /><br /><div>Allow to cool a little and tip out on plate if desired.</div><div><strong>EAT!</strong> (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).</div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 151px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362647557791711106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj18TmILem6ixsqgG8nLQg1UP02usoVvtOarWpk1eHCvcZi18rDbqtcJBKk5Lt-x8Ouk3zoPl4aUQD_ll50sglYMBtNUezyLfNlgNt1-41Lv9B7vOPjpXHT77MHnOVdrTOECzfM_lpge7/s400/!cid_001001ca02ce%24097c2590%240100000a%40robqr5eszh4pyw.jpg" /><br /><div><strong>And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now you are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night! You are going to forward this straight away, aren't you...??</strong></div></div></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-75894926601409363432009-07-26T12:48:00.003+10:002009-07-26T16:20:45.303+10:00Phonics changes the structure of the brain - enhances intelligence.<br />I was about to put this article in the Education News section, but decided that it was far to good to have it rotate out of my blog, so here it is. It was written by Shannah B Godfrey and published in the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/">Examiner.com</a>. I often put articles from this source in the Education News section and would recommend its Family and Parenting section to anyone with school or preschool aged children.<br /><br />A research team headed by scientists from the esteemed Yale School of Medicine announced in 2004 a particularly significant finding for children who have trouble learning to read. It was reported by Gilbert Zarate in the Brownsville Herald: <a href="http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/opinions_more.php?id=61072_0_11_0_C" target="_blank">http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/opinions_more.php?id=61072_0_11_0_C</a><br /><br />The focus of this study, as much of the writing on this topic, is on how to assist struggling readers. While struggling readers show us what the critical issues are, children who are not struggling will be able to learn much more, much quicker, if they are also given exposure to the best teaching practices. Unfortunately, as is commonly the case, teachers leave good students to fend for themselves on the mistaken assumption that they don’t need help.<br /><br />Mom and Dad can and should do things at home to enhance their child’s learning and intelligence.In the words of the reporter:“The study reported that the brain function of poor readers actually changes to resemble the brain function of “good” readers when they have been taught to read through instruction that is direct, systematic, and focuses on the sounds and letters that make up words, the meanings of words, and helping children read accurately and quickly.<br /><br />"Using functional MRI scanners, researchers were able to document that effective reading instruction not only improves reading ability but actually changes the brain’s functioning so children can read more efficiently. These struggling readers were taught to read using a comprehensive reading program that focused on systematically teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary and spelling and, as a result, formed new and lasting neurological connections and pathways in parts of their brain that regulate reading ability.<br />"We know that almost every child in America — whatever race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic level — can become a strong and confident reader when taught through a comprehensive approach grounded in systematic, research-based instruction. And we know that scientifically based reading instruction can be successfully implemented in all schools — whether urban, suburban, or rural.<br /><br />"Unfortunately, the reality today is that nearly 40 percent of fourth-grade students are unable to read at grade level. While many policymakers, educators and parents are enthusiastic about teaching children to read, not all schools and school districts are implementing instruction grounded in scientific approaches that have been proven to increase reading skills. Despite what we know works, not all schools have put in place carefully developed, comprehensive reading programs that include research-proven instructional practices. This is a travesty.<br />"We know that reading instruction for struggling readers must be explicit, systematic, and allow sufficient time for student learning. We also know that the reading curriculum should include the five critical components that are fundamental to learning to read — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension.”<br /><br />So if the scientific evidence strongly proves that phonics instruction re-maps the brain for the better, why does the educational establishment, for the most part, continue to ignore the data and teach ineffective reading (and math) methods? Part of the answer may be found in the lobbying and monetary influence of textbook publishers, who follow fads for personal gain rather than true research results. Part of the answer may be found in the egos of some educational people pushing their own theories and agendas. Part of the answer can be found in the inertia and ennui of large government entities, schools, to resist change.<br /><br />Whatever the factors, it is clear that parents must not let their gifted children be left to fend for themselves in school. Parents can follow the best practices of phonics reading instruction (and math instruction) with their children at home to ensure a great foundation for success.<br />Gifted children need exposure to many types of learning to be well-rounded. One of the best programs for kids is scouting. They start as young as 6 years and go until age 18. Scouting gives your child a sense of accomplishment. Being able to claim the rank of Eagle Scout on a résumé is a prestigious thing. To find information for a scout troop near your home, go to the Boy Scouts of America office near you. In the Kansas City area it is Council 307 – Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, PO Box 414177, Kansas City, MO 64141. Phone: (816) 942-9333. <a href="http://www.hoac-bsa.org/" target="_blank">http://www.hoac-bsa.org/</a> Girl Scouting will be discussed in the next article.<br />Author: Shannah B Godfrey<br /><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-13955-Kansas-City-Gifted-Children-Examiner"></a><br />Shannah B Godfrey is an Examiner from Kansas City. You can see Shannah B's articles on <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-13955-Kansas-City-Gifted-Children-Examiner">Shannah B's Home Page</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-13955-Kansas-City-Gifted-Children-Examiner~y2009m7d24-Phonics-changes-the-structure-of-the-brain--enhances-intelligence#fragment-5" jquery1248637132359="49"></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-4085353042680270532009-07-23T12:25:00.003+10:002009-07-23T12:38:02.844+10:00Should toddlers and preschoolers use computers?Here's a great article from My Swainsboro News on children and computers.<br /><br />Spend some time online, and you will notice more and more websites targeted at young children. Educational groups, commercial companies, and software developers have all devoted attention to creating resources for children, including preschoolers, toddlers, and even infants.<br /><br />But are these programs good for children? Should toddlers and preschoolers spend time on the computer? Computers can be valuable learning tools for young children. Unfortunately, too many programs and websites available today are not developmentally appropriate for young children.<br /><br />For more of this story, click on or type the URL below: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.forest-blade.com/articles/2009/07/20/opinion/editorials/doc4a64b3f2590aa758960924.txt">http://www.forest-blade.com/articles/2009/07/20/opinion/editorials/doc4a64b3f2590aa758960924.txt</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-2013793596649715942009-07-21T22:16:00.006+10:002009-07-21T22:34:55.953+10:00Story Time! Children's books and the art of reading to children.<br />This is a great article by <a href="http://nmdad.dailykos.com/">NMDad</a> on how to give your children the most when you read books together.<br /><br />Reading is a wonderful way to spend time with your children. Reading is part of providing a stimulating environment in which your children can learn and grow. Reading to them provides a foundation for language development, literacy, and possibly a lifelong love of books. Who doesn't want all that for their kids?<br /><br />While any kind of reading is better than not reading at all, some methods are better than others. (Yes, there's more to it than the words on the page.) If you're interested in a parent's experience and advice on this topic, some of my personal favorite kids' books, and some milk and cookies* please follow me below the fold.<br /><br />*Readers must provide their own milk and cookies.<br /><br />For the rest of this really instructive article <a href="http://watchingthewatchers.org/article/26858/story-time-childrens-books-and-art">click here</a>.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-41432236171095259362009-07-16T12:51:00.011+10:002009-11-26T21:42:59.147+10:00Self-regulation: The key to sucessful students? by Todd HoffmanThis article comes from Education.com via The Tehran Times. It is immensely interesting considering our fairly permissive society and the freedom given to our children. Perhaps this is part of the reason that our literacy levels are falling.<br /><br />New research suggests that children who learn to mind their P’s and Q’s may also have an easier time learning their ABC’s and 123’s. In a new study conducted by the University of Virginia’s Claire Cameron Ponitz and Oregon State University’s Megan McClelland, the researchers found that kindergartners who had high levels of “self-regulation” in the fall did better on tests of reading, vocabulary, and math in the spring when compared to children with low levels of self-regulation.<br /><br />What is self-regulation? According to Dr. Ponitz, self-regulation is the ability to control and direct one’s own feelings, thoughts, and actions. It can be as simple as a child raising his hand when asking a question in class, or as complex as a child controlling her feelings when frustrated or angry. “Self-regulation underlies our daily decisions and long-term behavioral tendencies,” Ponitz says. “When people make poor choices - e.g., about health, school, work, or relationships, it is usually because of a failure of self-regulation.<br /><br /><br />With regard to early development, children who learn to control themselves and make good choices do better socially and academically than children who are overly angry, aggressive or impulsive.” While the ability to self-regulate has long been considered an essential part of a child’s healthy emotional development, self-regulation is increasingly being seen as a good predictor of a child’s academic success.<br /><br /><br />According to Dr. McClelland, a number of studies have found that self-regulation significantly predicts literacy outcomes in children. In their own research, McClelland and Ponitz found that aspects of self-regulation not only predicted literacy outcomes in preschool and elementary school, but also predicted the gains in literacy children made during that time. In specific, they found that children who showed improvement on a simple task designed to measure self-regulation skills also showed improvement in emergent literacy, vocabulary, and early mathematics skills. “We think it's because the skills in the task - remembering instructions, stopping yourself, and paying attention - are also important in school,"Ponitz says.<br /><br /><br />Good self-regulation skills are also important for a child’s social development. “Self-regulation helps children succeed in classroom contexts,” McClelland says. “The children who can successfully navigate these learning environments have better relationships with their teachers, are more liked by their classmates, and do better academically. They are also more motivated to achieve because of these skills.”<br /><br /><br />Both Ponitz and McClelland believe parents and teachers play a crucial role in the development of their children’s self-regulation. “Parents and teachers are critically important guides and models for children as they learn how to control themselves,” Ponitz says. “At home and in the classroom, providing organization, consistency, and structure seem to be important predictors of children's self-regulation. For example, following through with rules provides children the chance to practice controlling themselves.”<br /><br />McClelland agrees that self-regulation is a learned skill. “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that self-regulation can be taught in children.” As an example she points to an intervention aimed at improving self-regulation in preschoolers. “In one recent study,” she says, “we found that a series of classroom games in preschool designed to help children practice paying attention, remembering instructions, and demonstrating self-control significantly improved self-regulation skills, especially for children with low self-regulation.”<br /><br /><br />The good news for parents and educators is that easy ways to help children develop self-regulation skills may be as close as the local playground. Both Ponitz and McClelland suggest that classic games where children must follow directions and wait to take turns may be particularly suited for the development of self-regulation. Specifically, they recommend:<br /><br /><br /><strong>Red Light, Green Light</strong>. One child is the stoplight, the other children are the cars. When the stoplight yells “Green light!” the children run towards the stoplight. When the stoplight yells “Red light!” all the children must stop. If a child doesn’t stop, they must go back to the starting line. A popular variation is to include a “Yellow light!” where children must walk instead of run. Excellent for developing self-regulation skills because children must learn to pay attention, follow directions, and wait their turn.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Simon Says.</strong> When Simon says, “Simon says jump!” the children must jump. But if Simon only says, “Jump!” and somebody jumps, that person must sit out for the rest of the game. The last person standing becomes the new Simon. Another excellent game for developing self-regulation because children must listen carefully, pay attention, and follow directions.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Role Playing</strong>. Ponitz believes that role-playing games in which children pretend to be another person for an extended period of time may also provide opportunities for children “to think about their choices and not give in to their immediate impulses.” For example, have one child pretend to be the teacher while the rest of the children pretend to be the students.<br /><br /><br />To make the games even more challenging, McClelland recommends adding rules that require children to pay attention, remember new instructions, and do the opposite of what they are used to. For instance, instead of having children follow commands when a person says “Simon says...” do the opposite and have them follow commands when the phrase isn’t used.<br /><br /><br />Be creative! As research increasingly shows, simple games can be more than mere child’s play when it comes to helping children develop valuable skills that will serve them well later in life.<br /><br /><br />Todd Hoffman has worked as an assistant preschool teacher, a freelance children's writer, and an educational consultant. He is currently a graduate student in the Cognitive Studies in Education program at Columbia University. (Source: Education.com)Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-11707706126482700872009-07-15T15:14:00.005+10:002009-07-26T16:25:00.945+10:00News Flash from AWN - July 13<span style="color:#009900;"><strong>The Electric Company Becomes a Daily Show on PBS Kids </strong></span><br /><br />Press Release from Sesame Workshop(NEW YORK, New York -- July 13, 2009) Get out your circuit breakers as THE ELECTRIC COMPANY turns into a power strip! Starting September 7th, Sesame Workshop's hit program THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, will be charging up PBS KIDS GO! with a daily dose of literacy superheroes and wily pranksters.<br /><br />Six-to-nine year olds will be able to tune in every day to see Hector, Jessica, Lisa and Keith outwit their scheming neighborhood prankster-counterparts in a way that reinforces strong literacy skills and teaches kids that reading isn't just for school -- reading is cool.<br /><br />"Reading and writing are critical developmental areas for children and children who are struggling with literacy skills by second grade are often at risk for never being able to catch up," said Linda Simensky, VP, Children's Programming, PBS. "By offering THE ELECTRIC COMPANY every weekday on PBS KIDS GO!, we are opening the doors for more children to explore reading and just how much fun it can be."Kids are plugged into THE ELECTRIC COMPANY making it the #1 show on PBS KIDS GO! in its block -- and the current doesn't stop there. The show's hit website, pbskidsgo.org/electriccompany, has had nearly four million site visits and over 11 million Electric Company video clips played since its launch in mid- January 2009.<br /><br />Also this fall, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY will be partnering with local PBS stations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as well as after-school organizations to bring a "Shock" to twenty cities nationwide with THE ELECTRIC COMPANY 2009 Circuit Tour. Starting August 8th, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY's star beat boxer, Shock, will host a 90 minute experience in each city beginning with a 25-minute multimedia, interactive show. The Circuit Tour will also include hands-on pre- and post-show activities that will engage kids with interactive content, games and demonstrations in an effort to give today's 2nd grader the literacy tools necessary to succeed in 3rd grade and beyond.<br /><br />"We are thrilled to bring this critical piece of THE ELECTRIC COMPANY directly into communities around the country," says Randell Bynum, Director of Educational Outreach for THE ELECTRIC COMPANY. "We look forward to sharing a live, interactive Electric Company experience that will turn kids on to the power of reading."THE ELECTRIC COMPANY is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national literacy initiative focused on using public media to improve the reading skills for children ages two-to-eight, with an emphasis on children from low-income families. The effort is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with CPB- and PBS.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-5301788263014893062009-07-13T12:43:00.022+10:002009-07-13T13:18:38.108+10:0020 Fun Language & Thinking Games for TravellersThis post, used with permission, from <a href="http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/">Literacy, Families and Learning</a> is a real gem. There are 20 wonderful games to use with the kids on long trips, or even short ones. If you're homeschooling or just want to give your kids a learning boost, they'll be great as well. Enjoy!!<br /><br />This post is a follow on from my last post 'Holiday Activities: 30 simple ways to stimulate learning' (<a href="http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2009/07/holiday-activities-simple-ways-to.html">here</a>). This time I've just focussed on great language games that can be easily played in the car on long (or short) journeys. Many of them could also be played in a bus, or in some cases, a train. I've tried to keep the ideas simple and adaptable for use with children of varied ages. I've included a number of games that we played with our children in the car when they were young, some I used when teaching and some new ones that I'd love to play with my grandchildren. Most of the new ones have been gleaned from a great resource published by Usborne Children's books, '50 things to do on a journey' (<a href="http://www.usborne.co.uk/catalogue/browse.asp?css=1&cat=1&subject=AB&subcat=ABAC&id=2004">here</a>). I've modified many of the latter to suit the needs of younger children as well. One thing to note is that you don't have to play every one of these games competitively and if you do, you might need to handicap older children.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">1.</span></strong> Sound word categoriesYou start this game by agreeing on 3-5 categories (depending on the age of the children and their vocabularies) for which people will have to be able to think of words that belong to them; for example, an insect, flower, person, country, girl's name, action word. Someone chooses a letter (maybe Mum or Dad to make sure that it isn't too hard) that has to be used by everyone and is applied to each category. The fastest person to quickly name their words earns 3 points, the second gets 2 and the third 1. So for the letter 'f' and the three categories insect, country and girl's name you could say fly, France and Fiona. A parent usually acts as the timer.<br /><br />For games 2 to 20 just click this link <a href="http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/">Literacy, Families and Learning</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-62013063359116462112009-03-15T21:54:00.007+10:002009-07-26T16:23:01.091+10:00We Should Teach HandwritingIn response to many on the internet who say that handwriting is becoming obsolete, I would like to say. No, No, No - It is as important as it always was. Please see the article below from the career and job site <a href="http://www.highere.com/should-you-complete-applications-for-employment-in-capital-letters/">'Highere' </a>on 12th March 2009<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Should you complete applications for employment in capital letters?<br /></span><br />Capital Letters will draw attention and also irritate people. Most of the companies ask you to complete applicatoin for employment in Handwriting, as they want to either look at how you write, and or do a basic handwriting analysis to check on your profile. A few basic pointers in Handwriting analysis, that the companies watch out for:<br /><br /><p _jfwi="0" bfoa6="0">1. Are you writing in a straight line (stable personality), dropping lines - lines going downwards (not confident), lines going upwards (over confident)</p><br /><p _jfwi="0" bfoa6="0">2. Do you punctuate properly, spell properly, to judge your language skills</p><br /><p _jfwi="0" bfoa6="0">3. Do you put the dots on your i’s or the dashes in your t’s, the dot missing means, you are casual about your approach, the dot preceeding the i, means that you think ahead, and the dot after the i means that you are running too fast.</p><br /><p _jfwi="0" bfoa6="0">This is just a guideline, and by no means a teaching of handwriting analysis. I am no expert of Handwriting analysis, but I personally accept applications in writing for people who join my company, to make sure they can write cleanly and have the right spellings. Pressing Spell check in a word file and or an online editor is a kid’s job, and a kid can write a classic document, but writing the proper way, with proper spelling by hand is a bit difficult.</p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-69768265156450154652009-02-10T00:25:00.003+10:002009-02-10T01:25:06.151+10:00Australian Bushfires - February 2009I hardly know what to say. The courage of these people who have lost loved ones, who have lost everything, who have to begin again with nothing but their indominable spirit, is incredible. As Australians we all grieve with you. It is, indeed, our darkest time, other than the years of war. The thoughts and prayers of all that I've spoken to, here and overseas, are with you. We will rally to support you.<br /><br />What I can't say, is said beautifully in the following poems.<br /><br /><strong>What is left</strong> (Kinglake Feb 08,2009)<br />By Jellz Fisher<br /><br />Grey ash lingers,<br />blanketing,<br />shrouding life.<br />Smoldering heat.<br />Eerie silence emanates.<br />As morning breaks,<br />invasive scent of<br />burnt eucalyptus.<br />Negroid trees stay erect,<br />random spent joss sticks,<br />punctuating flat, lifeless land.<br />Smoke hangs lower than<br />heads of defeated fighters,<br />while chimneys still stand<br />defiant and ironic.<br /><br />Sorrow, profound,<br />infects everything.<br />Change has swept all before it.<br />Lives ignited in gratitude,<br />joined in community<br />of salvation, desolate<br />for loss.<br />Bleary focus, tear-filled insecurity.<br />Flashbacks of survival,<br />overcoming<br />and the start of new memories,<br />will burn in theirs…..<br />forever.<br /><br /><strong>Bushfire (The Australian Spirit)</strong><br />Paul Buttigieg December 2006<br /><br />My last saucepan<br />Amid the ashes<br />A last possession<br />Bent<br />But never enough to stop me<br />Boiling the water<br />WhilstI lost everything<br />We’re not losing our cup of tea<br />We’re not giving up<br />Still<br />There is hope<br />Even if my house has gone<br />Others<br />Are hanging on<br />And I must help<br />I’ll build again<br />There is no time for feeling sorry<br />Only for pouring the tea<br />For heroesWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-90514501926374585772008-12-25T10:47:00.007+10:002008-12-25T11:07:07.513+10:00Merry Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQVHMWMWwnkFK2s9aLxJIuc0VWf-9Ip7m4eFxqpDjpCFYoH8MyI7QOgGBrGe9rWzmE6boWUYn8vlWCeuflBuWw38S95bWtrLcpB9C3YEM3iVu0b1GRJVvd4fpEcxqSpwxzdszE41Et5jv/s1600-h/xmascard9.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283527241217550754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQVHMWMWwnkFK2s9aLxJIuc0VWf-9Ip7m4eFxqpDjpCFYoH8MyI7QOgGBrGe9rWzmE6boWUYn8vlWCeuflBuWw38S95bWtrLcpB9C3YEM3iVu0b1GRJVvd4fpEcxqSpwxzdszE41Et5jv/s400/xmascard9.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>To all my readers,</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>**********************</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em><br /></div></em></strong></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>May you celebrate the birth of Jesus with joy in your heart<br /></em></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>Wishing you a wonderful </em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>Christmas and a blessed,</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>joy-filled and prosperous </em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>2009</em></strong></span></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-33045551380070672282008-11-27T19:38:00.004+10:002009-07-26T16:21:54.251+10:00What to Expect When Your Child Begins Preschool<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdoMgeEKAk7ekQt5xAv2W0LwHIma379uNM0Sa0cMhEGI20HgHQqwvKutiEkIFwDBC51Hdro-ABM9f1dD592C4gfgYmztA_f4YP3ckVM8oiPTh2mix_MOR_vo9lPTh0UexcM2iqhOfUTHY/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 101px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273275724210895330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdoMgeEKAk7ekQt5xAv2W0LwHIma379uNM0Sa0cMhEGI20HgHQqwvKutiEkIFwDBC51Hdro-ABM9f1dD592C4gfgYmztA_f4YP3ckVM8oiPTh2mix_MOR_vo9lPTh0UexcM2iqhOfUTHY/s400/images.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><div>Preschools may just look like a jumble of toys, books, activities etc, to the uninitiated, but in reality, they are very carefully planned to stimulate your children's interest and motivate them to explore and discover. </div><br /><div>They are geared towards fine honing children's conceptual skills, to prepare them for learning to read and write, to count and figure. They're also set up to give your children that wonderfully creative but incredibly messy play that's essential to develop the finer muscles and coordination they will need to launch successfully them into the world of learning.</div><br /><div>For those whose children are about to begin their education, here is a great description of what to expect when you first visit the preschool. Read <a href="http://iaecconsultants.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/what-to-expect-at-preschool-the-classroom/">THIS</a> and look for similar organisation in your child's preschool. </div><br /><br /><div></div><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-5539372261282236592008-11-20T23:25:00.006+10:002008-11-20T23:52:41.942+10:00Handwriting Readiness Pt.7 - Understanding Spatial Relationships<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMUWFJOnct315NEIJcz_SxVgmzFlDELbazlPcPiAf0sH1d6pgnZyKPwBofo_HpA7cMFvIjZJ6dYEI4cMI6FHQuAV1eSTWf8g6ThR09Brqb2FEG7sTeUYOXveOHknDclTy0Z1MKn5NhfPY/s1600-h/dreamstime_412173.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270732035817165570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMUWFJOnct315NEIJcz_SxVgmzFlDELbazlPcPiAf0sH1d6pgnZyKPwBofo_HpA7cMFvIjZJ6dYEI4cMI6FHQuAV1eSTWf8g6ThR09Brqb2FEG7sTeUYOXveOHknDclTy0Z1MKn5NhfPY/s320/dreamstime_412173.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The directions that teachers use to teach handwriting in the school assume that children understand spatial and temporal(related to or limited by time) concepts. <strong>Hey what???</strong></div><div>*</div><div>These are obviously terms used to confuse any but the initiated, but all it really means is can they get their minds, to communicate to the hand, the directions the teacher is giving them. Terms such as "on top of the line, "above the line," or "between the lines" and many more, are used in handwriting instruction.<br />*</div><div>An ability to understand these terms is acquired as children develop both physically and mentally. The age at which the average child begins to understand the position "in" is 2 years. Additional positions or locations are learned as the child increases in age, with the most challenging locations, "back/front" usually understood by the average child at 4 years 8 months.<br />*</div><div>Practice in understanding locations or positions is covered in the preschool curriculum, but it is often assumed by Kindergarten teachers that this concept has already been gained and they proceed from there. If a student's concepts in this area are only a few months later in developing, than their entry to kindergarten, it can effect their self esteem, or belief in themselves, to the extent that they cease believing that they can succeed.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>I'm going to get on my favourite hobby horse here, about mid-year intake in Kindergarten. What this actually does is take a child into Kindergarten who is approximately six months younger in age, skill and concept development and only give them half a year of Kindergarten before they are required to keep up with the curriculum in year one. Now I ask you - does that sound, in any way at all, logical to you, or good for your child? If you answer "Not logical at all." and you say "I'll never do that to my child", I'll give you an A++++++++. Please, please, please, even if you do think you have a genius on your hands, and you may, hold your child back until the beginning of the next year.</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>Activities to help your child with positions are fairly obvious. I've given you some below, but you'll probably think of lots more as you progress.<br /></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;"><strong>1.</strong></span> Take something in your hand. Hold it in different positions and ask your child to tell you where it is.<br /></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;"><strong>2.</strong></span> Find the object. Hide something and give the child instructions, one at a time, on how to find it. Use a lot of position words. such as in, on, under, over, above, through. If you want to brainstorm about position words use the sentence. "The fox jumped..................the gate." Any word that fits in the space in this sentence is a position or location word.<br /></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;">3.</span></strong> More advanced practice. Take a picture with objects in it and ask the child to describe to you where one particular object is. Make it simple to begin with - not many things on the page. As they gain skill you can make the picture more complicated. Repeat their instructions out loud as you find the object and be very positive when you do.<br /></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;">4.</span></strong> Give your child an object to hold and then give them instructions about where to hide it. You can leave it at that, or you can prolong the game by getting your little student to give someone else position/location instructions on how to find it. </div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-80958170979725283202008-11-19T21:55:00.004+10:002008-11-19T22:48:46.962+10:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHd7o-9OSceY7QtFPu6qPaqrcVWuqJaqrRZvqTS1y5Yn6VJTuQBYM6m7uNpCboNwYSo8U-JNxdO6Fuie-m4gYYS0J91p95pT2TqqqtUMk5qFuLP9AQTOUoQVGfp0zqMJclTxXN_Fe7Jg0/s1600-h/waragainst.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270345003314239522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 111px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHd7o-9OSceY7QtFPu6qPaqrcVWuqJaqrRZvqTS1y5Yn6VJTuQBYM6m7uNpCboNwYSo8U-JNxdO6Fuie-m4gYYS0J91p95pT2TqqqtUMk5qFuLP9AQTOUoQVGfp0zqMJclTxXN_Fe7Jg0/s320/waragainst.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Educators Are Best Understood as "Ignorance Engineers"<br /></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">This is a reprint of a very thought provoking article by Bruce Deitrick Price.</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I tend to agree with him, on the whole, both about the Maths and Reading. It's been heartbreaking, tutoring children who are the product of this type of education. They are so worn down by the process, with poor self esteem and no faith in their abilities.<br /><br />Of course there are some children who will learn, no matter how they're taught, or should I say in spite of how they're taught. If you have a child like this, then thank God. Most children do need good teaching and they haven't been given that. The most terrible thing is that they've not only received poor teaching, but they've been blamed for their own failure and believed the lie they've been fed.<br /><br />It's not their fault! They still have the ability to learn if they're taught properly. The problem that we run into, is to convince them that this is so. It's very, very hard to ask someone to believe this truth, when they've accepted a lie about themselves for so long.<br /><br />Here is the article.....<br /><br />Public schools seem to be in a constant state of disarray and low performance. We have to wonder: are our educators hopelessly inept? Or is intellectual sabotage a factor?<br /><br />Some experts argued that educators have been sidetracked by social engineering. Here, the main goal is that students have correct opinions rather than that they learn a lot. (The Civil War? Oh, that´s about the injustice of slavery. What else needs mentioning?)<br /><br />Note that schools in Socialist and Communist countries engage in endless indoctrination, but they also find time to teach a lot of information, as required by the traditional educational model. So it´s clear that both can be done.<br /><br />The striking thing about American public schools is that students stop learning even the simplest things. Children are in school roughly a thousand hours a year, for a total of 12,000 hours from grades one to 12. But in that vast mansion of time there doesn´t seem to be room for a match box of facts. Find Japan on a map? Don´t be silly. Nobody needs to know that.<br /><br />Can social engineering, as normally defined, explain why American children know very little? I don´t think so. The ignorance is too towering. The more I looked at the shortcomings of our public schools, the more I was forced to conclude: somebody is deliberately aiming very, very low.<br /><br />The picture starts to make sense if you assume that American educators, at the PhD level, are not social engineers so much as ignorance engineers. All their ideas and policies appear directed at mass-producing mediocrity, to the degree they can get away with it.<br /><br />Their concern seems not to be with shaping opinions so much as making sure nobody learns anything worth having an opinion about! Perhaps this nihilistic kind of social engineering is more easily snuck into classrooms.<br /><br />I didn´t reach this distrustful view casually or in a sudden epiphany. No, it was slowly forced on me as I contemplated the pitiful spectacle of math courses that don´t teach any math, a reading pedagogy that doesn´t permit anyone to learn to read, and geography, history and science courses that are not concerned with anyone retaining information.<br /><br />What we seem to have is a widespread war against civilization, especially American civilization, conducted in every subject and at every level. Here´s a quick run-down of the incriminating evidence in the main disciplines:<br /><br />MATH: Decades ago, our educators concocted a fatuous fraud known as New Math. The public laughed. The educators went underground for several years and came up with a bunch of replacements now known (sarcastically) as New New Math. Some of today´s leading textbooks are called TERC, Connected Math, Everyday Mathematics, MathLand, etc. Children taking these courses learn virtually no real math.<br /><br />To understand this craziness quickly, please see <span style="color:#000099;">a wonderful video on YouTube titled "An Inconvenient Truth" by M. J. McDermott.</span> Give McDermott 15 minutes and you will understand the vacuity of these programs.<br /><br />What sort of people would devise math books that don´t teach math?? Ignorance engineers.<br /><br />READING: It was by studying Whole Word (also known as Look-Say) that I really came to understand the scandal of our schools. This unworkable pedagogy has created 50,000,000 functional illiterates. What could be more vicious?<br /><br />By all accounts, 99% of children taught with phonics learn to read by the age of 7, or 8 at latest. But children stuck in Whole Word classrooms are made to memorize word shapes one by one (a tedious process), thereby guaranteeing that most of these children will be semi-literate well into high school.<br /><br />Still worse, this bogus pedagogy is shrouded in sophistry. Even highly educated people rarely understand what Whole Word is. How can the public defend itself against this dangerous hoax? That seems to be the point. I´ve created some graphic videos that try to explain Whole Word in a few minutes. Please visit <span style="color:#333399;"><span style="color:#333399;">YouTube and enter "phonics versus whole word</span>.</span><span style="color:#333333;">"</span>For a longer, more historical analysis, please see <span style="color:#000099;">"30: The War Against Reading" on Improve-Education.org.</span><br /><br />FACTS, IN GENERAL: The dogma is that children should not be expected to memorize ANYTHING. Teachers say: "They can look it up." In real life, this means that nobody knows nothing. About history, science, geography, the arts, or which way is north.<br /><br />This rampant ignorance is dramatized every time Jay Leno goes "JayWalking." I developed "The Quizz--100 simple facts that every high school student should know" to spotlight the same emptiness. (Google "20: The Quizz")<br /><br />IN CONCLUSION: Throughout all the years that this dumbing down has been going on, our educators have been yelling for more money. As if that is the key to the kingdom. Not at all. Genuine educators with half the budget would easily outperform the ideologues now in charge.<br /><br />The central tragedy is that these misguided educators seem to have little concern for the needs of children or the good of the country. Let the people eat cake. (Please print this piece and follow up the leads at your convenience. That our so-called educators would actually function as anti-educators is THE story of the 20th century.)</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-72371387946990445692008-10-08T22:28:00.006+10:002008-10-08T22:53:35.056+10:00Fun Alphabet Games<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaysqVrjvzPobzgCZCQYogPVs4wEn7XDgGSrBge2RvYyEcfjzz5-_KmP9UHPuk1XqCdoZtRv7ml-7QC-KCqzXydJdByXwqlVn6kpHFJ8SKWIw5iN9loPbzq3x0XLVBfpqecm0n6LapO87/s1600-h/Horse_Giving_Birth.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254762945834584450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaysqVrjvzPobzgCZCQYogPVs4wEn7XDgGSrBge2RvYyEcfjzz5-_KmP9UHPuk1XqCdoZtRv7ml-7QC-KCqzXydJdByXwqlVn6kpHFJ8SKWIw5iN9loPbzq3x0XLVBfpqecm0n6LapO87/s400/Horse_Giving_Birth.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This list of games is taken from a blog called <a href="http://walking-paper.blogspot.com/">Walking Paper</a>. I would recommend a visit. It has jokes, pictures for colouring in and lots of fun websites.<br /><a name="7691786946935243081"></a>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*</div><div>*<br /><a href="http://walking-paper.blogspot.com/2008/10/fun-alphabet-games-for-you-online.html">Fun Alphabet games for you; online!</a> </div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.learningplanet.com/act/abcorder.asp">Alphabet Order</a>From Learning Planet.</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.lil-fingers.com/abc/">ABC Mommy & Me</a></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.alphabet-soup.net/fun/slate.html">ABC Writing Slate</a>This is a fun activity which will also assist in mastering maneuvering the mouse.</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html">Lots more alphabet games for primary level children!</a></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.kiddonet.com/gb/flash/phonics/Intro.html">Intro to Phonics</a></div><div><br /><a href="http://www.poissonrouge.com/abc/index.htm">More Phonic games</a></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.learningplanet.com/act/fl/aact/index.asp">Recognition Phonics</a></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/kids/antics/index.html">Alphabet Antics</a>Practise the letters of the alphabet with this game.</div><div><br /><a href="http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/alphabetGame/default.htm">Alphabet Book Games</a>Organize the out of order books. Click on the books in alphabetical order.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kinderplanet.com/alphlett.htm">Alphabet Letter Puzzle</a></div><div><br /><a href="http://www.first-school.ws/theme/alphabetp13.htm">Alphabet Online Jigsaw Puzzles</a></div><div><br />The animals at <a href="http://www.primarygames.com/ABC%20Zoo/start.htm">Alphabet Zoo</a> are all mixed up. Help to sort them by putting the animals in ABC order. This game has 5 questions.<br /><a title="Email Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=2756643454259270426&postID=7691786946935243081"></a><a title="Edit Post" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2756643454259270426&postID=7691786946935243081"></a><br /><a href="http://walking-paper.blogspot.com/2008/10/fun-sites.html">Fun Sites!</a><br /><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" onclick="'return" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=2756643454259270426&widgetType=LinkList&widgetId=LinkList2&action=editWidget" target="configLinkList2"></a></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-48373180548628687222008-10-06T01:12:00.005+10:002008-10-08T22:52:38.273+10:00Can You Sleep While the Wind Blows?A friend of mine sent this to me today, and I enjoyed it so much, that I wanted to share it with you.<br /><br />It was originally circulated by Linda Fitzwater. She says 'The Text of this beautiful story was forwarded to me by a friend without an author noted. We have just found that this is an Uncle Arthur story. I think the title was "I can sleep on windy nights" from -- Uncle Arthur's Online.<br /><br />I used to have a book of Uncle Arthur stories when I was a little girl and read and reread them until the book almost fell apart. They're wonderful short stories to read to your children at night. They all have a moral. My favourite was about children squabbling about whose turn it was to lick the bowl that had the cake mixture in it. That used to happen in our household regularly.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Can You Sleep While the Wind Blows</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF-MZhGUrrlJC90uV2JLHbnNa0Yie51CLvsYEi9LiUVutehYzzQMKH3WLE_idZpkn9j1Ycnx_Uq0h3ICMvJyBdvCQsCx1yidnEKq_knKETjCK5xLHv4_3NftgEyMMx5dgrsUz7kWPFgs1/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253690308316402066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF-MZhGUrrlJC90uV2JLHbnNa0Yie51CLvsYEi9LiUVutehYzzQMKH3WLE_idZpkn9j1Ycnx_Uq0h3ICMvJyBdvCQsCx1yidnEKq_knKETjCK5xLHv4_3NftgEyMMx5dgrsUz7kWPFgs1/s400/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the<br />awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.<br /></div><br /><div>As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. "Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.<br /></div><br /><div>To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.<br /></div><br /><div>When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.<br /></div><br /><div>A friend of mine sent this to me today, and I enjoyed it so much, that I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy your day and you sleep well.<br /><br />The Text of this beautiful story was forwarded to me by a friend without an author noted. We have just found that this is an Uncle Arthur story. I think the title was "I can sleep on windy nights" from -- Uncle Arthur's Online.<br /><br /><br /></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-27826325104923476212008-09-18T21:30:00.000+10:002008-09-18T21:31:12.809+10:00Spelling and Phonics Games<a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/ewordgame/">http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/ewordgame/</a><a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/applications/ewordgame/index.html?grade=2&unit=1"></a><br /><a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/wordsort/">http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/wordsort/</a><br /><a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/content/wordbuilder/">http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/content/wordbuilder/</a><br /><a href="http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/wordfind/">http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/gr2/wordfind/</a><br /><a href="http://www.eduplace.com/tales/">http://www.eduplace.com/tales/</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-43444232146619411852008-09-09T19:37:00.005+10:002009-08-07T22:16:23.085+10:00Handwriting Readiness Pt.6 - Basic Stroke Formations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjPWpS8I88iuj8mSDOE0gf-w-JHWIWl9XAxf87_NGr-EJcuNnZWil4s69NVlgb4amWNUdXFaC9g57AuAJBLX7rFKoRvJoDlxZwFOeEruMs3JOsf2sYHbTbOPAW0FhtagQ9p5Zq3ByAD6N/s1600-h/tguidel.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224604048324414306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjPWpS8I88iuj8mSDOE0gf-w-JHWIWl9XAxf87_NGr-EJcuNnZWil4s69NVlgb4amWNUdXFaC9g57AuAJBLX7rFKoRvJoDlxZwFOeEruMs3JOsf2sYHbTbOPAW0FhtagQ9p5Zq3ByAD6N/s400/tguidel.gif" /></a><br />One of the hardest things for a child when learning handwriting, is fluency. He is so concerned with getting it right, that instead of a uniform curve or circle, it becomes a wobbly formation.<br /><br />To help with fluency Danielle Dumont, an expert from France, teaches children using a ribbon and making waves and squiggles with the ribbon in the air (rather in the way that a gymnast uses the ribbon). Once the circles, waves and squiggles that the ribbon is making are fluent, transfer that same fluency with chalk to the chalkboard. This helps the student to feel that flow and to use it when working on a smaller area.<br /><br />Proficiency in basic stroke formations is a tremendously important part of handwriting. What is an intelligent child likely to do, if you put some lined paper in front of him. with strokes done in dots - you then tell him to trace the strokes, but be careful not to go below the line? That's easy! He'll start at the line and go up the stroke so that he'll be sure to get it just right. It makes perfect sense to him, because he hasn't been told that this is practice for writing letters and they begin with a downward stroke and never an upward one. The solution to this is to explain this to him.<br /><br />Except for v,w,x,y,z, which start with a slanted downward stroke or in the case of z a horizontal stroke, (none of which, by the way, begin on the line) all other small case letters start with either a vertical down stroke or a curve moving in an anticlockwise direction.<br /><br />Children should never be taught how to write the letters, until they have considerable skill in tracing pictures or shapes. You can use ordinary cheap colouring books for this and textas or coloured pencils (thick, three sided ones). At this stage don't worry about the direction in which your child traces. The aim (or I could call it a game) here, is to trace without straying from the picture outline. He needs to be able to keep the texta or pencil tracing that line, for as long as possible, before he stops, lifts it up and then puts it down on the line, to begin tracing again.<br /><br />Some of this can be done without you supervising. You'll usually be able to see the stops and starts and judge how proficient your child is becoming. It is wise though, to sit with him sometimes to observe and also the encourage - encouragement motivates! After the outlining is done, he may see the picture as being finished or he may want to colour it in further. Go with the flow. Colouring in also requires a certain control of the pencil.<br /><br />Once he has shown proficiency (not perfection!!) with tracing, you can progress to formal pre-writing sheets. Here is where you need to sit with him and watch him like a hawk. It's good to verbalise with him as he does the strokes - 'start at the top and trace down'. He'll probably get sick of your verbalisation after a while and just want to get on with the job. Just tell him that you'll stop, but if he starts at the line and goes up, you'll have to help him again by verbalising. Children usually find this a fair bargain and it will motivate him to concentrate harder.<br /><br />All the curved shapes on the pre-writing sheet must be done in an anticlockwise direction and again you need to watch all the time. Where to start when tracing circles?? Different writing schemes teach different ways, when the student begins on the letters of the alphabet. Picture in your mind a circular head with ears. Actually draw it, if you're working with your child. Some writing schemes teach that you form a,d,g,o,q by starting at the top of the head, or on the line, and drawing an anticlockwise circle. Then for f,s,c, you start just above the right ear, go up to the line and then proceed to finish your letter.<br /><br />In theory this sounds fine, but what often happens is that students also persist in starting their f,s,c on the top of the circle, or on the line, too. It's so much easier to have an obvious starting point. You can imagine the finished product - it's long and skinny and undefined. I recommend starting all these letters above the right ear. It's much simpler in the long run and the letters have a better flow to them.<br /><br />Okay! Getting back to pre-writing sheets - make a small mark on any circle just where the top of the right ear would be and get your child to begin tracing anticlockwise from there. If there are spirals, or any other curves, make sure they're traced in an anticlockwise direction too.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379720706462475499.post-33642643075066301422008-09-07T15:11:00.005+10:002008-11-20T23:54:30.648+10:00Handwriting Readiness Pt.5 - Utensil or Tool Manipulation<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243143305241086434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8Iu5kBLUBtpdk8z7PVbzlZA9Kv_lWKBfP9SHtWwuXBhHAnGkC0mOFvpIoShS2kIzswNW0nY2HevsvLZeVL3KYxoUnhvRraOwZmAteyijmwbDYrf-lf2OjZJz4VaiN-O63ve-S85GG-N3/s400/dreamstime_1981438.jpg" border="0" />No! This doesn't mean that you get out the hammer, the electric saw and the drill set. It's just <div>psychologist's jargon for the level of skill, with which children use ordinary, everyday things like a spoon or fork, crayons, plastic scissors, glue brush, paintbrush, etc. Can they tie their shoe laces, clean their teeth properly, get a top to spin?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>These are skills that can be developed. For those of us old enough to remember, there was junior mechano and the progression to the even smaller parts of the regular mechano, with the tools to join parts together. Most boys had a set of some size to make all manner of wonderful inventions. There were even small motors, that moved parts.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Then there were those kits with tiny pieces to build model, ships, cars and many other things. Hours were spent in this way and these were wonderful for creating exceptional manipulative skill with hands and fingers.</div><br /><div></div><div>For girls, who had kind brothers, the mechano sets were often a favourite, but I also remember making pictures with tiny beads, learning to sew with tiny stitches, making little tea sets with clay, colouring, drawing, painting, or french knitting. I remember my brother was addicted to french knitting for a while. He ended up with a length that stretched all the way from the front fence to the back fence. We ended up making a mat with it.</div><br /><div></div><div>And now the good news - all these things, including some great mechano are still available today, plus many more activities to get little fingers nimble and clever with manipulating tools - large and small - and increasing the strength of those tiny muscles needed to successfully guide a pencil.</div><br /><div></div><div>Before we go any further, I want to stress, <em>really stress</em>, the importance of your prospective writer being given the thicker, three sided pencils to use. You can get them in plain lead and colours. I know they are more expensive and need sharpening more often, but they encourage the tripod grip and are much easier to manipulate than the thinner ones.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243158867368277618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 285px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 367px" height="355" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfMnQDjBhwZlumAK_69Mv-LbdIoh1xVjAqqGULj-y_GYdrf2EgyxfKTECPKoUh8BkRGtrrhb61xJ7ZYWFu8d-XXzoSaNksFkjJB2KxEnK7kjU5uGKiX7Fbcz2KqxcTMzlTa_W1vqEWxzy/s400/griptripod3.jpg" width="285" border="0" /></div><br /><div></div><div>As in any kind of tool manipulation, there is a way to hold a pencil which has been proved to cause the least stress on hand muscles and help writing to flow more evenly. This is called the dynamic tripod grip. Children develop the habit of holding their pencils in ways different to this, for a variety of reasons. The most common reason, is participating in lots of writing before their hands are developmentally ready for it.</div><br /><div></div><div>Other than forming a habit for the wrong pencil grip, the most common problem is how much pressure your young student is putting on the pencil. Some children press too hard, writing slowly and deliberately and putting great stress on the muscles in their hands and fingers. Obviously, this will prove to be very uncomfortable for them and they won't be at all motivated to practice their writing. To help them realise how hard to press, put their writing paper on a thin foam board. When they press too hard, their pencil will go through the paper into the foam. Make a game of it, to see if they can write without the pencil going through, but heavy enough to make the writing clear.</div><br /><div></div><div>The opposite problem - not pressing hard enough - can be helped if you use paper with a carbon backing or just a piece of carbon paper stapled between two sheets of paper. If the writer doesn't press hard enough, the copy won't be seen on the sheet beneath.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Other ways to improve manipulative skills are:</span></strong></div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">1.</span></strong> String plastic, ceramic, glass or even beads you make yourself from paper mache etc, and decorate them.</div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">2.</span></strong> Sew with wool to make felt hand puppets, pillows or clothes for dolls, little purses, marble bags or whatever your little creative genius desires.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">3.</span></strong>Weave placemats with craft foam, coloured paper, craft ribbon, crepe paper or anything else you discover will work.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">4.</span></strong>Make flower necklaces out of real flowers or the small craft ones.</div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">5.</span></strong>Make pom-poms from two cardboard donut shapes and wool.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">6.</span></strong>Make paper flowers from tissue, crepe or ordinary coloured paper. If you've used the type of paper, on which you can use glue, sprinkle with sparkle or decorate in some other way.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">7.</span></strong> Check out a library book and learn to make origami animals. Best to check one out from the children's section if possible. Some of the designs can get very complicated.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">8.</span></strong> Make paper chains as decoration. These can be used also to hang up and write the name of each book you've read together on a separate chain. It can cause great excitement and even motivate children to ask to have books read to them, to fill up the chain completely. Try having a blank chain for each month with a do-able number of links.</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03989777135031561652noreply@blogger.com2